Mrs. May, a fourth grade teacher, approached Mrs. Pitts, the school librarian, after school in the library one afternoon with a collaborative proposal. As part of the district curriculum, the students in Mrs. May's fourth grade social studies class must complete a PowerPoint presentation about one of the four Presidents of the United States from Texas. This project requires extensive research using both online and print resources, as well as a great deal of technology assistance as students create their PowerPoints. Mrs. May thought this would be the ideal opportunity for a collaborative teaching experience and Mrs. Pitts agreed. The two began planning the collaborative lesson plan right away.
This is a plausible if scenario if the librarian has done her homework of educating faculty and administrators about the potential of classroom-library collaboration to impact student learning. In many school environments, it will be up to the librarian to make the first move.
Collaborative Planning Form
Teacher: Deanne May (Fourth Grade Teacher) and Wendy Pitts (School Librarian) Topic: Social Studies (United States Presidents from Texas - Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush)
Dates/Times: Monday, November 8 - Friday, November 19 - Educators will meet every other day meet during Mrs. May's planning period and/or after school for one hour. Mrs. May and Mrs.Pitts will create a Wiki page for lesson plans that can be added to on the weekend evenings.
1. Why are we asking students to engage in this learning experience? Goals/Standards
Which of these standards and indicators are you assessing in this lesson/unit? Only include those that you are measuring. From my perspective, this is too many.
Reading Comprehension Strategy - Determining main ideas
Student Relevance- These are presidents that lived in Texas just like you do. Could you be president some day? As we go through the presentations look for similarities/differences between the presidents lives and yours.
Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
TEKS - Social Studies
(19) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
(A) identify leaders in state and local governments, including the governor, selected members of the Texas Legislature, and Texans who have been President of the United States, and their political parties;
(22) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States and Texas;
(23) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication;
(C) express ideas orally based on research and experiences;
(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies; and
(E) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
TEKS- English Language Arts and Reading
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the difference between a stated and an implied purpose for an expository text.
(24) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:
(A) follow the research plan to collect information from multiple sources of information both oral and written, including:
(i) student-initiated surveys, on-site inspections, and interviews;
(ii) data from experts, reference texts, and online searches; and
(iii) visual sources of information (e.g., maps, timelines, graphs) where appropriate;
(B) use skimming and scanning techniques to identify data by looking at text features (e.g., bold print, italics);
(C) take simple notes and sort evidence into provided categories or an organizer;
(D) identify the author, title, publisher, and publication year of sources; and
(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.
25) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to improve the focus of research as a result of consulting expert sources (e.g., reference librarians and local experts on the topic). (26) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to draw conclusions through a brief written explanation and create a works-cited page from notes, including the author, title, publisher, and publication year for each source used.
(27) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments; and
(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related sequences of action.
2. What do we want the students to learn? Performance Indicators/Learning Objectives
Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge. 1.1 Skills.
Indicator 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
Indicator 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
Indicator 1.1.5: Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
Indicator 1.1.6: Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
Indicator 1.1.8: Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
Indicator 1.1.9: Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
1.2 Dispositions in Action.
Indicator 1.2.2: Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.
Indicator 1.2.3: Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.
1.3 Responsibilities.
Indicator 1.3.1: Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and producers.
Indicator 1.3.3: Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.
Indicator 1.3.5: Use information technology responsibly.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. 2.1 Skills.
Indicator 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
Indicator 2.1.4: Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
Indicator 2.1.5: Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
Indicator 2.1.6: Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
2.2 Dispositions in Action.
Indicator 2.2.1: Demonstrate flexibility in the use of resources by adapting information strategies to each specific resource and by seeking additional resources when clear conclusions cannot be drawn.
Indicator 2.2.4: Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. 3.1 Skills.
Indicator 3.1.3: Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.
Indicator 3.1.4: Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
Indicator 3.1.6: Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.
3.2 Dispositions in Action.
Indicator 3.2.1: Demonstrate leadership and confidence by presenting ideas to others in both formal and informal situations.
Indicator 3.2.2: Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.
Indicator 3.2.3: Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth. 4.1 Skills
Indicator 4.1.8: Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
3. In what specific learning experiences do we want them to engage? Who will be responsible for each? Learning Tasks/Responsible Educator
Students will engage in the following learning experiences:
Collaboration: Students will select a partner, and together select one of the four presidents from Texas to research as well as develop a plan for completing the project. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Self-Assessment: Students will be provided a rubric upon which to base their research and final product. Students will be guided through and encouraged to self-assess their work throughout the project. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Researching: Students will receive a lesson on identifying credible sources of information as well as making notes and documenting sources in order to properly cite information. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. Pitts)
Will you provide a graphic organizer for notemaking or for students to record their citations?
Researching: Students will research their selected president using print and electronic resources. Students will make notes on their findings and document their sources in order to properly cite information in their final product. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts)
Technology: Students will receive an introductory lesson on using Microsoft PowerPoint. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. Pitts)
Technology: Students will work with their partners to put the information found during the researching stage into a PowerPoint taking care to properly cite sources. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts).
Presentation: Students will be refreshed on proper oral presentation skills through a brief lesson. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Presentation: Students will present their PowerPoint to the rest of the class using proper oral presentation skills. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts)
4. How will they communicate what they learned? Learning Process/Products Students will communicate what they have learned about their selected president through the completion of a PowerPoint presentation. They will create a PowerPoint detailing their selected president's life including his childhood, schooling, professional career, presidency, and retirement. Upon completion, students will present their PowerPoint to the class at which time students will learn about the history of all four presidents originating in Texas.
5. How will they/we assess their learning? Assessment Criteria/Tool(s) Educators will provide students with a rubric at the beginning of the project. Students will use this rubric to self-assess their work throughout the project and educators will use the rubric to assess students' work at the end of the project.
6. What resources will the students/we need?
Computers with Internet access as well as access to Microsoft PowerPoint
Print resources with information on Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush
Electronic resources with information on Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush
A.4.2 Collaborative Lesson Plan
Rubric:Scenario:
This is a plausible if scenario if the librarian has done her homework of educating faculty and administrators about the potential of classroom-library collaboration to impact student learning. In many school environments, it will be up to the librarian to make the first move.
Collaborative Planning Form
Topic: Social Studies (United States Presidents from Texas - Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush)
Monday, November 8 - Friday, November 19 - Educators will meet every other day meet during Mrs. May's planning period and/or after school for one hour. Mrs. May and Mrs.Pitts will create a Wiki page for lesson plans that can be added to on the weekend evenings.
1. Why are we asking students to engage in this learning experience? Goals/Standards
Which of these standards and indicators are you assessing in this lesson/unit? Only include those that you are measuring. From my perspective, this is too many.
Reading Comprehension Strategy - Determining main ideas
Student Relevance- These are presidents that lived in Texas just like you do. Could you be president some day? As we go through the presentations look for similarities/differences between the presidents lives and yours.Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
TEKS - Social Studies(19) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
(A) identify leaders in state and local governments, including the governor, selected members of the Texas Legislature, and Texans who have been President of the United States, and their political parties;
(22) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States and Texas;
(23) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication;
(C) express ideas orally based on research and experiences;
(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies; and
(E) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
TEKS- English Language Arts and Reading
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the difference between a stated and an implied purpose for an expository text.
(24) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:
(A) follow the research plan to collect information from multiple sources of information both oral and written, including:
(i) student-initiated surveys, on-site inspections, and interviews;
(ii) data from experts, reference texts, and online searches; and
(iii) visual sources of information (e.g., maps, timelines, graphs) where appropriate;
(B) use skimming and scanning techniques to identify data by looking at text features (e.g., bold print, italics);
(C) take simple notes and sort evidence into provided categories or an organizer;
(D) identify the author, title, publisher, and publication year of sources; and
(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.
25) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to improve the focus of research as a result of consulting expert sources (e.g., reference librarians and local experts on the topic). (26) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to draw conclusions through a brief written explanation and create a works-cited page from notes, including the author, title, publisher, and publication year for each source used.
(27) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments; and
(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related sequences of action.
Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
1.1 Skills.
- Indicator 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
- Indicator 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
- Indicator 1.1.5: Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
- Indicator 1.1.6: Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
- Indicator 1.1.8: Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
- Indicator 1.1.9: Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
1.2 Dispositions in Action.- Indicator 1.2.2: Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.
- Indicator 1.2.3: Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.
1.3 Responsibilities.- Indicator 1.3.1: Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and producers.
- Indicator 1.3.3: Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.
- Indicator 1.3.5: Use information technology responsibly.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.2.1 Skills.
- Indicator 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
- Indicator 2.1.4: Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
- Indicator 2.1.5: Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
- Indicator 2.1.6: Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
2.2 Dispositions in Action.- Indicator 2.2.1: Demonstrate flexibility in the use of resources by adapting information strategies to each specific resource and by seeking additional resources when clear conclusions cannot be drawn.
- Indicator 2.2.4: Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.3.1 Skills.
- Indicator 3.1.3: Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.
- Indicator 3.1.4: Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
- Indicator 3.1.6: Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.
3.2 Dispositions in Action.- Indicator 3.2.1: Demonstrate leadership and confidence by presenting ideas to others in both formal and informal situations.
- Indicator 3.2.2: Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.
- Indicator 3.2.3: Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.4.1 Skills
Students will engage in the following learning experiences:
Collaboration: Students will select a partner, and together select one of the four presidents from Texas to research as well as develop a plan for completing the project. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Self-Assessment: Students will be provided a rubric upon which to base their research and final product. Students will be guided through and encouraged to self-assess their work throughout the project. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Researching: Students will receive a lesson on identifying credible sources of information as well as making notes and documenting sources in order to properly cite information. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. Pitts)
Will you provide a graphic organizer for notemaking or for students to record their citations?
Researching: Students will research their selected president using print and electronic resources. Students will make notes on their findings and document their sources in order to properly cite information in their final product. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts)
Technology: Students will receive an introductory lesson on using Microsoft PowerPoint. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. Pitts)
Technology: Students will work with their partners to put the information found during the researching stage into a PowerPoint taking care to properly cite sources. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts).
Presentation: Students will be refreshed on proper oral presentation skills through a brief lesson. (Responsible Educator: Mrs. May)
Presentation: Students will present their PowerPoint to the rest of the class using proper oral presentation skills. (Responsible Educators: Mrs. May and Mrs. Pitts)
Students will communicate what they have learned about their selected president through the completion of a PowerPoint presentation. They will create a PowerPoint detailing their selected president's life including his childhood, schooling, professional career, presidency, and retirement. Upon completion, students will present their PowerPoint to the class at which time students will learn about the history of all four presidents originating in Texas.
Educators will provide students with a rubric at the beginning of the project. Students will use this rubric to self-assess their work throughout the project and educators will use the rubric to assess students' work at the end of the project.